Coral Gable High School senior Jessica Sanchez earns her community service hours by volunteering at a day care center once or twice a week, depending on her homework load. She started volunteering her freshman year and has continued into her senior year.
“I usually volunteer with the younger ones, the one year-olds and two-year-olds,” she said. “They are just amazing. I like how they are so young and they get attached to you so easily. I like to read to them and give them snacks. They are so playful.”
She also volunteers at school. She frequently stays after school to help her biology teacher with grading papers or filing, the type of work a class aide would do.
Sanchez is in the Health, Public Service and Law Academy.
“I’ve been in the law class since freshman year,” she said. “I like it a lot.”
Having spent so much time in the law section, you’d think her plan would be to become a lawyer, but it’s not.
“I wanted to at first, but I changed my mind and now I want to major in finance,” she said.
Along with taking law classes, she also has taken math classes.
“The requirement’s four [math classes] and I’m in my fifth or sixth,” Sanchez said.
Some of those classes are dual enrollment classes with FIU. She also takes a dual enrollment class in English. Last year she did a dual enrollment class in ceramics.
“It was really fun. I’m not good in art but with that I was able to do things that I didn’t think I was able,” she said. “I made bowls, a vase, beads for necklaces, a face sculpture, a mini-frog and a jewelry box.”
Sanchez said she hopes to stay in Miami for college, maybe attending FIU. However, she also if considering UCF and UF. Her decision depends on which school offers the most in scholarships.
— Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
